Going into Saturday night’s Jazz vs. Pelicans matchup, it seemed that the Jazz would have a tough game ahead of them. The Pelicans have started off the season red hot, entering the night 4-0 as one of the few remaining undefeated teams left in the league, while the Jazz’s record of 2-2 left a bit to be desired from the talented team.
With the imposing presence of MVP-hopeful Anthony Davis in the New Orleans paint, it seemed certain that Utah would either have to grind out a tough win or lose to the team with the greater momentum. Whatever happened, it wouldn’t be easy. But Davis was ruled out with an elbow sprain just before tip-off, leaving the paint wide open for Utah to exploit.
Anthony Davis (right elbow sprain) ruled out for tonight’s game vs. Utah
Utah found themselves with an early lead while the Pelicans struggled to recover–Ricky Rubio had something of a breakout game for the Jazz and scored a season-high after struggling through Utah’s first few games.
Ricky Rubio posts 20 PTS, 4 AST for the @utahjazz in the opening half! #TeamIsEverything
Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle and Jrue Holiday kept New Orleans alive as the team’s top scorers, and the Pelicans made a strong fourth-quarter run but ultimately couldn’t close the gap. The Jazz were able to pull away and snap the Pelicans win streak, beating them and handing them their first loss of the season.
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Jazz Take Advantage of Davis-less Pelicans, Handily Snap Win Streak